5.1 – Emancipation

Supreme Leader of Gallifrey – the Lady President Romana – is making a series of decisions that are costing her allegiances within the Inner Council.

Lord High Chancellor Narvin is trying to protect the truth behind their presence there.

Emissary Leela is trying to secure basic rights for her allies, the Outsiders, now freed from generations of bondage to their masters, the Regenerators of Gallifrey.

But their enemies plan to expose the truth and let society rise or fall by the consequences of their political ambitions…

1 Comment

Styre
on May 10, 2016 at 1:08 AM

GALLIFREY: EMANCIPATION

Two more years passed between the release of Gallifrey IV and Gallifrey V, and the fifth series opens with James Peaty’s “Emancipation.” We’re still on the alternate-universe Gallifrey with which we left off the fourth series, and Romana is now trying to leverage her power into converting this paranoid, vicious world into something closer to her real home. Narvin is her right hand man, while Leela has retreated to the Outsiders, now serving as their diplomatic envoy. I like how the structure of the play relates to the characters: we’re unsure throughout just how ruthless Romana is prepared to be as she clashes fiercely with Narvin and Leela, but in the end we realize she’s only doing what she thinks will make the world better. Peaty also bridges the continuity gaps through the use of a newscast – and while I’ve always found the idea of TV news on Gallifrey deeply silly, it elegantly catches the listener up on what’s been happening and keeps you informed. The problem is that nothing much happens – there’s a political negotiation over mining profit rights, which is precisely as interesting as it sounds, and then there’s an assassination attempt with the most obvious “twist” resolution possible. Add to this the fact that I just don’t care what happens to an alternate universe Gallifrey that they have to leave at some point and, well, I’m afraid this is going to be yet another dreary experience.